Palo Alto Networks · 19 hours ago
Principal Security Researcher (Wildfire)
Santa Clara, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$163K/yr - $263K/yr
6+ years expPalo Alto Networks is a leading cybersecurity company dedicated to protecting the digital way of life. They are seeking a Principal Security Researcher to lead efforts in threat research, focusing on machine learning and malware analysis to develop innovative security solutions.
Cloud SecurityCyber SecurityNetwork SecuritySecurity
Responsibilities
Lead end-to-end machine learning projects for threat detection. This encompasses defining the model architecture, sourcing and preparing data, building and managing training pipelines, deploying models into production, and monitoring their performance
Design, build, and deploy innovative security solutions leveraging Generative AI and agentic systems
Develop intelligent agents and workflows to automate threat hunting, accelerate malware analysis, and streamline threat intelligence processes
Disseminate cutting-edge research findings and contribute to the security community by publishing results in technical blogs, industry white papers, and academic papers, particularly on topics related to malware analysis and AI for security
Work closely with cross-functional teams, including other security services: threat prevention, internet security and IoT security, endpoint security to integrate and deliver sustainable and quality coverage and defense
Qualification
Required
BS/MS/PhD degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
6+ years of experience in a research or engineering role, demonstrated experience in leading machine learning projects in malware domain or detection systems, including a strong understanding of model development, data preprocessing, and deployment
Proven experience in the complete software development lifecycle, with proficiency in one or more programming languages (e.g., Python, Go, C++)
Preferred
Strong experience in reverse engineering, system security, threat research, malware/code analysis or vulnerability research is a big plus
A proven track of top tier publications in cybersecurity related areas is a big plus
Solid understanding of the threat landscape, including common attack vectors, malware techniques, and threat actor tactics is a plus
Benefits
Restricted stock units
Bonus
Company
Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks is a cybersecurity company that offers cybersecurity solutions for organizations.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Palo Alto Networks has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (579)
2024 (482)
2023 (341)
2022 (452)
2021 (493)
2020 (235)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$65MKey Investors
Icon VenturesLehman HoldingsGlobespan Capital Partners
2012-07-20IPO
2008-11-03Series C· $10M
2008-08-18Series C· $27M
Leadership Team
Helmut Reisinger
CEO EMEA
Nikesh Arora
Chairman CEO
Recent News
Benzinga.com
2026-01-03
2026-01-03
2026-01-02
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